The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 112

## CHAPTER 112

Talia examined the expressions on Varkas’s face. His countenance, cold and devoid of the slightest hint of emotion, seemed to withstand the blowing of a dry wind.

Varkas looked toward the sun, covered by a thin layer of clouds, as if calculating the time, and then directed a serene gaze toward his second-in-command.

—Tell the Wolfram cavalry to hurry with the preparations for the march.

—Understood.

Once Daren withdrew, Varkas turned around without delay. Talia moistened her lips, unsure of what to say. Should she comfort him? However, Varkas seemed genuinely indifferent. Perhaps it was to be expected, since he had been sent to the capital when he was barely five years old; there was no way he held any attachment toward his father.

—It seems we have no choice but to leave today. How do you feel now? —Varkas suddenly asked the question as he entered the hall.

Talia replied in a tense tone:

—I am fine. I have rested enough during these days, so I am already recovered.

—You have not fully recovered yet —his tone suddenly became rigid—. Traveling a long distance with a body that has not completely healed will be exhausting. If your condition worsens, let me know immediately.

Talia looked at him for a moment and then nodded her head. She walked up the stairs with steps that were neither slow nor fast. Through the windows overlooking the hallway, the sky looked overcast. The thought struck her that it might rain during the funeral.

The return journey passed without any setbacks. After crossing the open plains in a hurry, the cavalry managed to reach Leidgho Castle two days ahead of schedule.

When the gate guard spotted their arrival from a distance, he blew the horn loudly and the drawbridge descended. The Wolfram cavalry crossed the entrance without stopping.

—Welcome!

Upon entering the open plaza, the waiting servants immediately gathered around Varkas. Talia observed the scene from behind the window of her carriage, then straightened her clothes and stepped down. At that moment, the maids lined up at the entrance of the hall bowed in unison.

—You must be exhausted from this long journey.

Talia nodded once to accept the greeting and moved straight toward Varkas. He was receiving a report from the head servant when he turned toward her and examined her with his gaze.

—It seems I must go see my father immediately. Do you wish to accompany me, Your Highness?

Talia bit her lips, undecided. Honestly, she did not want to face that eccentric old man again. However, she did not want to leave Varkas alone either, even knowing that he felt no pain over the situation.

—…I will go with you.

Varkas looked at her for a moment and then gestured with his head toward his younger brother, who remained standing in the distance.

—Come with us.

Lucas, who was standing with a darkened face, moved mechanically under his brother’s orders. Talia deliberately ignored Lucas and followed Varkas.

Upon entering the main palace with firm steps, the scent of myrrh, incense, and sandalwood flooded their nostrils. They were the fragrances usually burned for a sick person who was on the verge of death.

—Lucas!

While they were climbing the stairs, a slender young woman came out of the duke’s room.

—Why did you take so long? Do you have any idea how much I…?

The young woman crossed the hallway in a hurry and threw herself into Lucas’s arms. The boy, who had gone rigid, held his sister’s shoulders with his eyes welling with tears. Talia watched the scene with discomfort and then took a quick glance into the dark room.

In the smoke-filled room, the high priests and vassals were lined up. Varkas walked in with a firm step and asked the priest:

—What is his condition?

—Unfortunately, it does not seem he will last until the end of the day —the old priest, whose face looked as pale as someone who has not slept, sighed heavily—. Prepare yourselves mentally.

Upon hearing the priest’s words, the young woman’s weeping intensified. Talia stood awkwardly, averting her gaze, and then quietly moved closer to Varkas’s side. She looked cautiously toward the bed covered by curtains and caught a glimpse of the emaciated old man’s silhouette. It was hard to believe that this terribly deteriorated man was the same one who used to speak with such a sharp tongue.

How long did Talia stay contemplating the man who had fallen into such a pitiful state in a matter of a single month? Suddenly, her coat was pulled violently.

—Why is she here?

Leidgho Shirkhan, nicknamed Lina, fixed eyes overflowing with tears and filled with rage upon Talia.

—You… Didn’t you curse our father and tell him to go to hell? With what face do you dare stand here? Get out! Leave right now!

The young woman screamed while roughly dragging Talia toward the door. Varkas grabbed his sister’s arm and wrapped his own around Talia’s shoulders. The girl’s features flared even more with anger upon seeing this.

—You too, brother! How can you be so infatuated by this witch…

—Enough, Leidgho!

Lucas quickly pulled his sister against his chest and covered her mouth. Leidgho Shirkhan buried her face in her brother’s chest and began to weep bitterly, consumed by grief.

Suddenly, a harsh voice, sounding like the grinding of two pieces of iron, resonated in the room:

—What is all this commotion?

Talia turned, alarmed. The man raised his wrinkled eyelids and looked at them with eyes clouded by mist. The weeping young woman immediately ran toward the bed.

—Father! Have you awakened?

The old man looked at his daughter for a moment and then slowly shifted his eyes to examine the room. Upon seeing Talia standing in a corner of the room, he narrowed his eyes. Talia stepped back behind Varkas’s back; she sensed that the old man did not want her there.

However, contrary to her expectations, his gaze was serene. After staring at her intently for a while with his somber eyes, he shifted his attention to his eldest son. His dark grey eyes gleamed with a strange flash for a second.

—…I was waiting for your arrival, Varkas.

A slight cough interrupted him. The old man, who was breathing with difficulty, raised his hand, which was as thin as a tree branch. In response to that silent request, Varkas leaned over the bed.

The old man’s pale eyes fixed on Varkas’s cold face. In that instant, the old man, who had not lost his cruelty even on the threshold of death, crumbled.

—You… undoubtedly hate me.

It was not so much a question as a statement. Varkas contemplated his father in silence, neither confirming nor denying anything. Suddenly, a wave of emotion flooded the old man’s eyes, and he violently gripped the fabric of Varkas’s clothes with his skeletal fingers.

—Answer me just one question. What… do you see with your eyes?

Everyone in the room fell silent at that unexpected question. The old man continued with desperation:

—With your eyes, you surely see something… something different, right? Tell me. You have to know. What is there after death…

His throat boiled with phlegm, as if blood were about to gush from it at any moment. The faces of those surrounding the bed turned pale. It seemed that the old man’s terror before the threshold of death had taken hold of everyone for an instant. He pulled Varkas forcefully while shouting with a metallic voice:

—Tell me already! What is there after this…

At that moment, Varkas’s closed lips opened:

—Nothing.

The duke, just like everyone present who watched the confrontation between both men completely frozen, held his breath. Talia also looked at him, her eyes tinged with astonishment.

Varkas serenely contemplated his father’s pale face and then added softly:

—I see nothing with my eyes. Therefore, rest in peace.

The old man’s lips trembled. The priest, having regained his composure belatedly, hurriedly approached the side of the bed and tried to calm the duke.

—Lord Duke, you must let go of your fear. God’s messenger will soon guide you toward the realm of rest.

The old man, who had been staring fixedly at his successor, suddenly collapsed onto the bed after losing all his strength. Varkas observed the scene with calm eyes and then slowly stood up.

Talia approached him gently. For some reason, she felt she had to do it. She carefully held the sleeve of his shirt; his clear, blue eyes rested on her for an instant before turning away.

The priest began to recite a prayer with a devout voice. Nonetheless, the fear in the old man’s eyes did not fade. The man continued to hallucinate from time to time and breathe with difficulty until dusk, at which point he finally entered his eternal rest.

The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 112

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